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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815091">The Rusalka</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/uofmdragon/pseuds/uofmdragon'>uofmdragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CC Trope Bingo [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Monster Hunters, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Food, M/M, Natasha ia a Rusalka, Rusalka (Water Spirit)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:14:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815091</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/uofmdragon/pseuds/uofmdragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint has made a new friend and Phil is not happy about it, but monster hunters rarely turn down allies.  Even if the Ally happens to be a Rusalka.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clint Barton/Phil Coulson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>CC Trope Bingo [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1490282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Clint/Coulson Trope Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Rusalka</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for CC Trope Bingo</p>
<p>Trope: Clint brought Nat in against Phil's orders<br/>Au: Road Trip<br/>AU: Monster Hunter<br/>(so basically Supernatural)</p>
<p>Beta by Lapilus</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phil took a deep breath as he stepped into the diner. He glanced back at the motel and resisted the urge to go back to 'Mr. We have to show that we trust her'.  Bah, Phil thought, he wanted to make sure that Clint was safe when he showered that he wasn't going to be attacked by that thing. Still, the diner workers didn't need his misplaced anger.  They lived their lives without realizing that the fey folk, vampires, and werewolves actually existed.  Well, most here did, some discovered to their detriment that myth and folk tales were real.</p>
<p>"Hi welcome to the Grand Chicken," the hostess greeted.</p>
<p>"Hi," Phil said.  "I need to get an order to go. I got some friends back at the motel." He gestured toward the building across the street.</p>
<p>"Sure," the hostess said and offered a menu.  "You just look that over and let me know what you want to get okay?"</p>
<p>"Thanks," Phil said, taking the time to peruse the menu.  Clint preferred burgers and Phil, well, Phil tried to get him to meet as many greens as possible. Granted, Clint didn't think he was going to live to be old enough for it to matter, but just in case, Phil tried to provide some roughage.  Taking care of Clint was easy as was taking of himself.  Taking care of the rusalka Natasha was another matter. What the fuck did a slavic mermaid eat?</p>
<p>Phil pulled out his phone and made like he was texting to do some quick research and came up empty.  Offerings to the rusalka consisted of ribbons, flower garlands, and cloths.  None were things that one could eat.  He sighed and ordered the fried fish with a salad that had apple, since they also liked trees?</p>
<p>Phil sighed, glancing up to catch the hostess eyes. </p>
<p>"Figure out what you want?"</p>
<p>"Bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a side salad, chicken wrap with the baked chicken and cheese curds, and uh, the fish meal.  Can I get that with your apple pecan salad."</p>
<p>"Sounds good, any desert?" Hostess said.  "Our display case for the pie right over there, if you want to take a peek while this cooks up."</p>
<p>Phil followed her pointing and nodded.  "I just might." Especially, since Clint had a sweet tooth for pie though Phil was supposed to be mad at him.  Still, he got up and went to look over at the pie. There were plenty of options and he considered the peach, lemon meringue, and coconut cream, but Clint would want the French Silk.  He waited until his order was up, before asking for the pie and then headed back across the street.</p>
<p>The motel rooms had windows that looked into the rooms, so Phil was able to glance in and see Clint and Natasha seated on one of the beds.  Clint looked, remarkably, undrowned.  Damp, but he was in the shower when Phil had left. Natasha was just as damp, but the plan had been for her to shower after them.  They were sitting there, talking.  Clint was… smiling.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Phil's fears were shifting.  There was still an underline concern for Clint's safety, but he looked at them, both young looking, both attractive.  Phil was… old, old enough that the idea of hunting monsters was getting stale.  His body wasn't bouncing back from the fights or the long trips in the car, even though Clint would stop every other hour to get out and stretch.</p>
<p>Natasha would be a far more effective partner for Clint. She was deadly in her own right and not even just in water.  Clint was deadly with his bow and in hand to hand and while Phil was able to fight, he wasn't as good as Clint was.  He couldn't even call himself the brains of the operation.  He found cases and did research, but it was Clint that knew that lore.</p>
<p>Clint glanced toward the window, smile widening when their eyes met. Phil sighed, well, time to face the music.  He opened the door and stepped inside to find Clint halfway to the door.</p>
<p>"Thought you might have forgot the key," Clint said, taking one of the bags out of Phil's hand and going to pull out the boxes at the table.  "Phil makes us eat at the table, if we have a table, because he grew up civilized."</p>
<p>"And because I don't like it when you wipe your greasy fingers on the bedsheets," Phil added, giving Clint a look.</p>
<p>"Then we can eat at the table," Natasha agreed, getting up to come over to them.</p>
<p>"I wasn't sure what to get you," Phil admitted.  "So, some fish and a salad?"</p>
<p>Natasha took the box and peered at the fish. "This looks like no fish I've had."</p>
<p>"It's fried," Phil said, snatching the box Clint was opening and shoving one of the salad boxes in his hand.  "Salad first."</p>
<p>Clint looked mutinous for half a second, before sitting down and opening his box.  The mutinous look returned a moment later. "Spinach?"</p>
<p>"You have hot bacon dressing," Phil pointed out.</p>
<p>Clint sighed and grabbed his dressing container to dump it out on the salad and then start eating.  He made an approving noise a moment later.  Phil rolled his eyes, because it wasn't like he would bring something that he knew Clint would hate. Phil sat down and put his vinaigrette on his salad.</p>
<p>"What is this liquid?" Natasha asked, holding up her dressing.</p>
<p>"Pomegranate vinaigrette," Phil replied. "Not everyone likes the taste of lettuce in a salad and likes to add another flavor. You don't have to eat it, if you don't like it."</p>
<p>Natasha nodded.</p>
<p>"You could dip a bit of the lettuce in it, so it only ends up on a bit to try it, if you wanted," Clint suggested. </p>
<p>Natasha regarded Clint, before glancing at Phil.</p>
<p>Phil blinked.  "You'll get a bit more dressing, but it's a good way to determine if you like the dressing."</p>
<p>She nodded and speared a bit of salad to dip it in and then ate it.  Her nose crinkled slightly.</p>
<p>"Swallow, you're pretending to be an adult human," Clint chided gently.</p>
<p>Natasha glanced at Phil again.</p>
<p>"He's not lying," Phil said slowly.  That seemed to be enough as Natasha swallowed what she was eating. </p>
<p>"It is not right," Natasha said.</p>
<p>"You don't have to eat it," Clint said.</p>
<p>"I'll grab some lemon slices, next time.  You can try to squeeze some juice on your salad," Phil suggested, making a mental note to avoid heavier dressings.  Natasha seemed content to eat her salad without any dressing. They moved onto their main course without any issue, beyond, Clint suggesting that Natasha peel off the breading, if she didn't like it, which she did end up doing.  Baked fish next time, Phil noted.</p>
<p>Once dinner was completed, they broke off.  Clint turning on the TV and finding a rerun of 'Dog Cops'.  Phil pulled out his laptop to dig through news sites and try to figure out where to head to next.  Natasha regarded them, before sitting across near Phil. </p>
<p>"Is there something I can do to help you?" Phil asked.</p>
<p>"I have spoken at length with Clint, but not with you," Natasha stated. "If we are to be a team..."</p>
<p>Phil looked at her.  "I'm trying to find our next case."</p>
<p>Natasha nodded.  "Using your magic box."</p>
<p>"It's…" Phil started, before giving her a look.  "You're fucking with me."</p>
<p>Natasha smiled.  "Food customs, I do not know about.  Why eat what the humans eat when there are fish and frogs and tasty plants to eat near my waters?" She displayed sharpened teeth, which disappeared a moment later.  "But I have watched the humans with their boxes and heard some discuss it by my waters.  Obsessed with their little boxes, humans are."</p>
<p>Phil nodded.  "We've developed a society where it is now very hard to exist without them."</p>
<p>"I do not know how to use it," Natasha admitted.  "They stop working in the water."</p>
<p>"Well, yes, water breaks most tech," Phil agreed. "Some are water resistant, or waterproof up to a certain point, but the longer it's submerged, the harder it will be to be fixed."</p>
<p>Natasha nodded.</p>
<p>"Like my phone," Phil said, tapping it.  "If it fell, in the toilet and I pulled it out, then it might be fine, but if it sat in there, probably not.  Now some have cases to help protect them from water, so it all depends."</p>
<p>"Does yours have a case?"</p>
<p>Phil snorted.  "I have a cheap phone, they usually get crushed by something, so I don't bother.  I used to have a more high tech phone."  Before he fell into monster hunting with Clint.  "Now it's not worth it."</p>
<p>"So tell me how it works?" Natasha requested.</p>
<p>A part of Phil wanted to refuse, didn't want to give a dangerous creature like Natasha a tool in her arsenal to use, but…  But Clint trusted her and he'd already asked Phil to trust him about her and Phil did trust her.  Phil sighed and started to speak about what he was doing and some of what he was doing. Natasha watched and listened until…</p>
<p>"Hey Clint, there's signs of a wolf attack in Michigan, killed a couple of people," Phil said, looking at his partner.  "All signs point to werewolf."</p>
<p>"Guess we're going to Michigan.  Nat, you'll love it, lots of lakes," Clint said.</p>
<p>"And rivers," Phil added.</p>
<p>"Sounds like a plan," Natasha said. </p>
<p>Phil stretched and closed the laptop, tucking it away.  He got up and did his bed routine and stepped out to see Natasha waiting for him to exit.</p>
<p>"Clint says I can sleep in the tub," Natasha said.</p>
<p>Phil blinked.  "Well that will make nightime bathroom trips interesting."</p>
<p>Natasha smiled and patted his shoulder as she passed by.  "It's nothing I haven't seen before.  You two did swim nude in my waters and mate on my shores."</p>
<p>Phil felt himself redden as he turned to look at Clint and mouthed 'Really?'</p>
<p>Clint shrugged and smiled as he patted the bed next to him.  </p>
<p>Sighing, Phil went to bed and curled in to next him.  Clint pulled him close and kissed him slowly.</p>
<p>"She's been following us for a while," Clint stated, nuzzling into Phil's next.  "Could have killed us multiple times and hasn’t."</p>
<p>"So why us?" Phil asked, eyes closing to Clint's tender confrontation.</p>
<p>"Because you cleaned up some of her waters," Clint said, softly, stroking Phil's back. "And we helped figure out how to help some ghosts and that coven of witches. You're more than just a hunter, Phil."</p>
<p>"So are you."</p>
<p>Clint hummed.  "Never would have been.  You changed me, made me want to try to help.  It's why I want to help Nat.  I think we can do some good with her."</p>
<p>"We?" Phil asked.</p>
<p>"Of course, we," Clint pulled back, eyes narrowing.  "You think I was going to ditch you for a pretty redhead."</p>
<p>"You do like dangerous women."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but I love you. Phil, I'd fucking marry you, if you know, I existed."</p>
<p>"Really?" Phil asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah," Clint agreed.</p>
<p>"I'd marry you, if we existed," Phil said.</p>
<p>Cint grinned.  "How about, if the next time we get some fakes, we get some that make us husbands?"</p>
<p>"I'll call Daisy in the morning. She'll love this," Phil murmured. "We could do a ceremony, bring some of our hunter buddies in."</p>
<p>"Melinda and those idiots scientist friends of yours."  Referring to three people from Phil's old life that he still kept in some contact with.</p>
<p>"Fitz and Simmons are not idiots. They're just…  really focused on their work?"</p>
<p>Clint snorted. "Sure, Phil."</p>
<p>"You never said yes to a ceremony."</p>
<p>Clint leaned in and captured Phil's lips in a kiss. He pulled away.  "Yes, whatever you want for me to show my commitment to you, yes."</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Natasha listened to the mortals talk about a commitment ceremony and become utterly sappy. They were good humans, she'd followed them enough to know that.  She didn't know about the sap.  She plunged her head below the water where the sound was distorted. Stupid mortals, if this kept up, she was going to have start purifying pools of chlorine so she could sleep there.</p>
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